In a breakthrough for agri-biotechnology, Pakistan’s first-ever commercial export of buffalo embryos to China has resulted in the birth of over 400 healthy calves, with another 500 pregnancies confirmed. The achievement marks a milestone in Sino-Pak cooperation in advanced livestock breeding.
Royal Cell Biotechnology (Pakistan), a joint venture between China’s Royal Group and Pakistan’s JW Group, exported 10,000 embryos of the Nili Ravi buffalo, a dairy breed famed for high milk yields, in two shipments during 2024. The $2 million deal marked the beginning of Pakistan’s entry into the global embryo export market.
Dr. Qaisar Shahzad, Technical Director of Royal Cell Biotechnology (Pakistan), revealed that the first calf was born in April 2025 in Guangxi, China. Since then, more than 3,000 embryo transfers have been carried out, producing 400 calves, while 500 more pregnancies are underway. The embryos were implanted into Chinese swamp buffalo, confirming genetic compatibility between Pakistan’s riverine breed and China’s local stock.
Pakistan granted RCB (Pakistan) export rights in August 2023, and the venture has since created over 100 jobs locally. The embryos are produced at the Royal JW Buffalo Industry Co. laboratory in Lahore using advanced Chinese IVF technology. Over the next decade, China plans to import at least 300,000 buffalo embryos from Pakistan to meet its growing demand for buffalo milk, while 10,000 more embryos have been developed for sale within Pakistan.
This collaboration not only strengthens agricultural ties between Pakistan and China but also positions Pakistan as a key player in the global livestock biotech industry.
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